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UPS Transforms as a 3D Printing Parts Service

Sept. 20, 2016

Package delivery isn't all you can expect from UPS. The company plans to ramp up its 3D printing efforts and make and ship parts as an alternative service.

Best known for its package delivery services, the United Parcel Service (UPS) also makes money storing and shipping parts for manufacturing customers all over the world. Now, sensing changes underfoot, UPS is quietly trying to transform that part of its business by embracing 3D printing.

According to an article in Fortune, UPS will soon offer a service for printing out plastic parts like nozzles and brackets and then delivering them to global customers. The 3D printing phenomenom could pose a threat to UPS’ traditional store and ship parts business so the company is opting to leverage the technology to start its own services venture.

UPS is considering Singapore or Japan for its Asian 3D printing factory and is also shopping around for a European venue. The company has already launched a U.S.-based 3D printing service, partnering with Fast Radius, a 3D printing company based near Atlanta. The pair have a 3D printing factory at UPS’ Lousiville, KY, hub, according to Fortune, and there are now 3D printers in 60 UPS locations throughout the United States so customers can print their own parts using industrial-strength thermoplastics.

Talk about turning lemons into lemonade.

About the Author

Beth Stackpole, contributing writer | Contributing Editor, Automation World

Beth Stackpole is a veteran journalist covering the intersection of business and technology, from the early days of personal computing to the modern era of digital transformation. As a contributing editor to Automation World, Beth's coverage traverses a range of industries and technologies, including AI/machine learning, analytics, automation hardware and software, cloud, security, edge computing, and supply chain. In addition to her high-tech and business journalism work, Beth writes an array of custom editorial content and thought leadership pieces.